Trip Itinerary to Rome, Pompeii, Tuscany,
and Florence

Day 1
Transatlantic flight to Italy.

                         Day 2  
You will be greeted at the airport by a bilingual ETS representative and transferred to your hotel. This afternoon enjoy Rome. Stroll through the small streets to discover the many fountains and squares of the Eternal City: Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in the Piazza Navona, Fontana delle Api in Piazza Barberini, and of course the Fontana di Trevi. Dinner this evening in Rome at a typical trattoria. Overnight in Rome. D

                                                   Day 3
After breakfast this morning, you will have a guided tour of the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica. Visit the Vatican Museum, Piazza San Pietro with its Basilica, as well as the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, including "The Last Judgement". This afternoon, if open, visit the excavations under St. Peter's. Dinner will be on your own this evening and overnight in Rome. B

                                                   Day 4
Today enjoy a guided walking tour of Rome including the Roman Forum, the Circus Maximus, the Pantheon, the Palatine, Imperial Forum, the Colosseum, and the Capitoline Museum. Take some time to sit on the Spanish steps and watch the world go by. Dinner this evening is on your own in Rome. Overnight in Rome. B

                                        Day 5
This morning you will have an early departure for Mt. Vesuvius and a guided tour of Pompeii. The 4, 190-foot Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD burying Pompeii with volcanic ash. You will return to Rome for the evening. B


                                                  Day 6
Today you will enter the Tuscany region of Italy. Tuscany is Italy and Italy is Tuscany-from the language of Dante, the ideas of Machiavellian, to the art of the Renaissance. Your first stop this morning will be the medieval city of Siena. Visit the Duomo, which is a beautiful Gothic-Romanesque structure of striped black and white marble. Walk around the Piazza del Campo and enjoy lunch before leaving for the walled city of San Gimigniano. This is a fortified cliff city in which 14 of its original 72 towers are still standing. This evening will be spent in the small Tuscan town of Certaldo. Enjoy dinner and overnight in Certaldo, as well. BD

                                                  Day 7
A free day to explore the Tuscan countryside.   Overnight in Certaldo.   BD

 
                   Day 8
This morning you will transfer to your hotel in Florence. Enjoy a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery. Visit the Piazza del Duomo. Climb to the top of the Campanil Tower (414 steps) for a view of the city. Enter the Baptistery through one of the Bronze Doors to see the mosaics that cover the dome. Then to the Piazza della Signoria where you will visit the Vecchio Palace. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Florence. B

                                                   Day 9
This morning you may choose to visit the Florence Academy of Art on your own. After lunch, continue on to the San Croce church. Your afternoon is free to walk around Florence. Maybe visit the Piazzas Santa Croce or Santa Maria Novella before dinner on your own. Don't miss the outdoor leather markets. B

                      Day 10
This morning visit the Academy Gallery to see the statue of "David", the Medici Palace, and the Pitti Palace. Enjoy the rest of the day on your own. Dinner in a local restaurant this evening.   BD

                   Day 11
Transfer to the airport for your return flight.    B

                   

TRIP INCLUDES:

  • Transatlantic airfare

  • 9 nights in superior or tourist class hotels, with breakfast

  • Transfers with a bilingual ETS representative

  • Private coach on days 6 and 8

  • 4 dinners in restaurants with local character

  • 9 guided tours including: Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Pantheon, Circus Maximus, Forum, Colosseum, Pompeii, Capitoline Museum, the Duomo and the Uffizi Gallery.